


The Riddle

by Vicsmi



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-28
Updated: 2020-09-28
Packaged: 2021-03-08 02:54:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,340
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26698576
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Vicsmi/pseuds/Vicsmi
Summary: He inspected his knuckles, the only part of his hands that were neither pale nor dark with dirt. They were red and swollen, and his skin had broken on two of them, leaving a trail of now dried up blood. A thought flickered across his mind just then; whose blood was it? It must have been some of his own, sure, but who else's?
Relationships: Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood
Comments: 3
Kudos: 16





	The Riddle

Alec looked down at his hands. They were rough, pale, and covered in even paler scars he'd gotten from years and years of archery practice. Not that that was the first thing you would think about at the moment, not with all the dirt and grime that in contrast made his hands look even paler than usual. But that was what Alec thought about when he looked at them. He turned them over and inspected his fingernails, seeing the dark lines of dirt that had made its way under them, mocking him, he thought. It would take ages to get that out. He inspected his knuckles, the only part of his hands that were neither pale nor dark with dirt. They were red and swollen, and his skin had broken on two of them, leaving a trail of now dried up blood. A thought flickered across his mind just then; whose blood was it? It must have been some of his own, sure, but who else's?

"Alec!"

He looked up to the other pale face in front of him, the one curtained by fiery red hair so unlike the raven coloured of his own. Her pale face was streaked with dried up mud that had flaked somewhat. He looked into her wide and expectant eyes. He must have zoned out. 

“Are you even listening?” She asked.

“Yeah, sorry. Of course.” He responded automatically, even though he had no idea what she had just said. 

  
“Good. Now where the  _ fuck _ is Jace?” She asked no one in particular. 

Then there was running. They could hear the thumping of footsteps, making their way closer and closer. Twigs were braking, leaves were rustling. Alec snapped his head towards the sound in panic, relaxing only when he saw the familiar blonde hair flopping as Jace came running towards them. 

“Did you do it?” Clary asked urgently, looking at the blonde with an expression that could only be described as haunting. 

“It’s done. Now where did you put it?” The blonde asked back, but this question was directed at Alec, not Clary. 

Alec froze. He knew he had put it somewhere, but he just… He couldn’t remember. The whole night was in his mind only in bits and pieces, and he tried to piece them together but he… 

“I can’t remember.” He admitted quietly.

“What do you mean?” Izzy asked as she had rejoined the group after spending the last 20 minutes talking Simon out of a full blown panic attack. She was glad he wasn’t close enough to hear this. 

Alec felt a chill go down his spine, and it made him shake like a dog trying to get the last droplets of water out of its fur. 

  
“God damnit, Alec! It was your job to take care of it! It was your  _ only _ job!” Clary snapped at him. 

He’d never seen her like this before. There was no trace of the usual carefree, happy girl he had gotten to know these past few weeks. The girl who at every problem or complication just shrugged and said ‘it’ll be alright’. He missed that girl now. He closed his eyes, hard, and tried to remember. Nothing came to him. His mind was blank.

“I’m sorry, I just, I can’t remember.” He whispered.

“You don’t remember or you don’t want to tell us?” Jace sneered. 

“I want to tell you! Of course I do, I just can’t fucking remember!” Alec snapped at his best friend. 

“Alec, you were supposed to take care of it…” Clary said in disbelief. 

She put her hand on her forehead and dragged it up into her hair, clutching her red curls in a tight grip. You could see the wheels turning inside her head, calculating and trying to figure out what to do next. This was certainly not going according to plan. 

“I did. I know I did. I put it…” Alec trailed off, trying so hard to remember.

“It?! Can you guys please stop using that word? You’re freaking me out!” Izzy snapped, who had watched the encounter in silence. 

Alec looked at his sister. She was, as the rest of them, covered in dirt. Her raven hair was covering half her face, and it had clumped together in streaks on her left side. Alec wondered why it was only her left side that looked like that, and what could have made her hair look that way. It looked almost wet. Then he saw the wound on her forehead.  _ Why was she bleeding? When had that happened? _ He looked down at his knuckles and was filled with dread.  _ Is it her blood on my knuckles? No. Of course not. That doesn’t make any sense. _ He tried to recall what the hell had happened to his little sister, but just as when he tried to fill in those missing spaces of time, he came up blank. 

“Guys!” 

They all looked in the direction of the voice. No one had noticed Magnus coming up behind them, Simon in tow. Alec looked at the man who had spoken, the only one of them that was not covered in dirt or blood. Not that he looked any less of a wreck because of that. His usual handsome features were soaked in sweat, tears, and makeup that had smudged under his eyes and down his cheeks. Alec couldn’t help but think that he still looked gorgeous, despite the lack of sharp edges and glitter that usually accompanied his T.A. 

“Has everybody done their part?” Magnus asked, looking around at the group of kids.

“Almost, Alec here  _ says _ he did his part, just that he can’t remember where he put it!” Clary snapped, looking at Alec with fire in her eyes.

“What did I say about that word?!” Izzy cried out, hugging herself and screwing her eyes shut as if all of the problems would go away if she couldn’t see them.

“That’s the only problem. So far.” Jace said to Magnus, voice venomous. 

Magnus sighed and went up to Alec who looked down at the ground in shame. 

“I’m sorry…” He said, feeling the tears burn behind his eyes, but he would damned if he let them out now.

“Shh, it’s okay Alexander. Look at me.” Magnus cooed in a soothing voice. 

Alec reluctantly looked up from the ground and he was met with a pair of warm, dark brown orbs, looking at him with a comfort he had never felt before. He felt himself relax slightly, his muscles loosening. He felt Magnus reach out and rub his right arm gently. 

“Close your eyes.” Magnus instructed and Alec did. “Now I want you to imagine yourself, standing here. Right here, right now.”

Alec could see himself, standing among the others. He could see the dark woods surrounding them. The trees against the violet sky, the leaves rustling in the cold wind. He nodded for Magnus to continue.

“Now I want you to imagine a clock, and I want you to see the clock starting to tick backwards. I want you to see this night, but in reverse, starting right here where we stand now. Can you do that?” Magnus continued in his smooth voice. 

Alec nodded again. He saw in font of him one of those old grandfather clocks. He saw the arms of the clock ticking backwards, at first slowly and then quicker and quicker. He saw in front of him what he had done before he looked at Izzy and her bloody forehead, before Jace came running, before Clary snapped at him, before he was looking at his hands. After a minute or so something in his head snapped. He opened his eyes and was met with not only Magnus’, but everyone else’s eyes on him. 

“I remember.” He said. 

“Good. Now, Alexander. Where. Is. It?” Magnus asked in a serious tone, still warm and soothing, but with an urgent edge to it. 

Alec blinked. “Near a tree, by a river, there’s a hole in the ground… That’s where I put it.”

**Author's Note:**

> Not sure if this is a one-shot or if I'm going to continue writing the story around it... We'll see :D   
> Comments and critique are welcomed!


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